Heineken Cup Results 2014: Quarter-Final Scores and Updated Rugby Fixtures | Bleacher Report Heineken Cup Results 2014: Quarter-Final Scores and Updated Rugby Fixtures By Gianni Verschueren , Featured Columnist Apr 5, 2014 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Patrick Bolger/Getty Images 1 Comment Ulster fought bravely down to 14 men for 76 long minutes but fell near the end as Saracens came away with a 17-15 win in the late game of the 2014 Heineken Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Munster convincingly dispatched of Toulouse, 47-23, before Clermont won a thriller against visitors Leicester by a score of 22-6. In the last quarter-final on Sunday, Toulon defeated Leinster 29-14 to leave the Semi-Final line up looking like this: Heineken Cup Semi-Finals 2014 Saracens v ASM Clermont Auvergne Saturday April 26 3:40 p.m.

BST/10:40 a.m. ET Twickenham Stadium 4:30 p.m. BST/ 11:30 a.m. ET Stade Velodrome ERCRugby.com Defending Heineken Cup champions Toulon knocked out three-time winners Leinster in a magnificent battle, setting up a semi-final clash with Munster in Marseille on Sunday, 27 April. This was the first meeting between the sides in the tournament, although between them, they have won the trophy in four of the last five seasons, per ERCRugby.com . Ex-England rugby star Jonny Wilkinson's injury jinx struck again and he was forced off in the first half, but he'd already managed to kick two penalties and put them into a 6-0 lead before departing the scene in the 28th minute after a heavy challenge. Claude Paris Jonny Wilkinson was in form with the boot before he had to go off. Leinster were up against it during the early part of proceedings and only some last-ditch defending stopped the score from increasing quite rapidly. Mathieu Bastareaud in particular, was getting in amongst it for the home side.

However, Toulon's handling errors were plentiful and despite a number of chances, they could not make their pressure count. David Smith was put through by Wilkinson but a late Rob Kearney interception, stopped the score. That Leinster were able to go in at half time level at 6-6 after two Jimmy Gopperth penalties, said much about the backs-against-the-wall performance from the Irish. Jimmy Gopperth levels matters for Leinster with another penalty. Toulon 6-6 Leinster (29mins). Live tracker: — RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) April 6, 2014 It didn't sit well with the home support who booed their team off of the pitch. However, within five minutes of the restart, the boos had subsided as Toulon raced into a 10-point lead. Matt Giteau fired a splendid long-ranger over from almost the halfway line and then prop Xavier Chiocci grounded after some fine work in the build-up from Craig Burden. Gopperth grabbed another three but from there on in it was all Toulon.

Bastareaud waltzed through a trio of tackles to hand off to the grateful Drew Mitchell, who escaped Gordon D'Arcy's attentions before extending the lead. Giteau converted, Delon Armitage crashed home a penalty and things began to look ominous for Leinster who trailed by 29-6 at that point. With 10 minutes to go, Jordi Murphy gave the visitors a glimmer, but it was too little, too late. Even the sin-binning of Florian Fresia couldn't change the scoreline, Toulon worthy winners in the end. 29-14 and Leinster can have few compllaints. Well beaten. That home defeat to Northampton proved very costly. — Gerry Thornley (@gerrythornley) April 6, 2014 Hosts Munster demolished a lackluster Toulouse squad, 47-23, as the Irish team played with all of the drive and intensity the French giants seemed to be missing.

Munster defeat Toulouse 47-23 to reach Heineken Cup semi-finals — Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) April 5, 2014 A six-try rout was the logical result, and Munster will now advance to the semi-final where they'll face the winner of tomorrow's tie between Toulon and Leinster. The hosts opened the match brilliantly and placed the pressure on the French shoulders early, attacking the line-out feverishly. An injury to Peter O'Mahony dampened spirits a bit, and as Munster failed to capitalise on their dominance, the visitors were lucky to somehow go into the dressing rooms down only 13-9. Keith Earls had scored the opener in the right corner, and Ian Keatley would add the conversion (7-10 on the day, with three penalties), with Toulouse only able to answer with three Luke McAlister penalties. Playing into the wind certainly played its part in the low scoreline for the hosts, and the question became whether Toulouse would be able to cope with having to do the same in the second half. The answer was no.

Munster , sweet Jesus I don't think many teams could handle them in Thomand park when they are like that — Niall Breslin (@nbrez) April 5, 2014 Dave Kilcoyne scored within two minutes of the restart and man of the match CJ Stander would add just minutes later, capping off an excellent performance on his birthday. Hosea Gear and Joe Tekori would score for the visitors but it was no more than consolation as Simon Zebo and Paul O'Connell put the final score up on the scoreboard, ensuring the team would keep its unbeaten record against French opposition at home. Toulouse manager Guy Noves was understandably dissatisfied with his team's performance but made it very clear it had more to do with the excellent display of the hosts, via The Guardian's Brendan Fanning : Today Munster taught us a big lesson and we'll have to learn from that. They carried the ball really well and it made it very difficult for us in defence. It took a huge effort for us to score but for Munster it came easier. It's the first time Munster have beaten us by such a margin, which reflects well on Irish rugby.

It's up to us to rise to the next occasion. Whether we lost because of conceding so many tries or by conceding two points we still have a lot to learn. Clermont extended their sensational win streak at home to 25 with a 22-16 victory over Leicester, having dominated the early proceedings and holding on during a late surge from the visitors. Heineken Cup QF: Clermont Auvergne 22-16 Leicester Tigers. Clermont stretch unbeaten home run to 75 games, but Tigers push them all the way — Rugby World (@Rugbyworldmag) April 5, 2014 The hosts opened up a lead with a couple of Morgan Parra penalties and a try from Wesley Fofana, and Clermont looked to be in excellent shape to finish the tie early. Down by 13, Jordan Crane's beautiful score and Owen Williams' conversion put the visitors right back in the match, and it became a battle of specialists as Parra and Williams exchanged blows.

Williams seemed to gain the upper hand, bringing his team ever closer with a number of clutch kicks from a long way out, but a late yellow card for backup Thomas Waldrom and the resulting penalty restored the gap to six points. The Tigers would come close to pulling off a miracle comeback, but their attempt would literally die a few yards out as the hosts held on to extend the streak to 75. Brian Moore congratulated the visitors, but also noticed the hosts were simply too strong: Tremendous spirit by Leicester in their narrow loss to Clermont - sad for them that effort alone can't win games. — Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) April 5, 2014 In the last match of the day, hosts Ulster were forced to play out the match with just 14 players as Jared Payne was red-carded after just four minutes for a dangerous challenge on airborne Alex Goode, who had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

While the official's decision infuriated plenty of the home fans both in the stadium and in the Twittersphere, Bath Rugby full-back Nick Abendanon felt the red card was certainly the correct decision: Don't know what the Ulster fans are booing about. That was a disgusting challenge worthy of a red card. Hope @Alex_goode0 is ok. — Nick Abendanon (@nick_abendanon) April 5, 2014 To make matters, Ruan Pienaar and Rory Best both came up with injuries early, making the task a near-impossible one for Ulster. Both the hosts would buckle down and put together an absolutely heroic performance, supported by a fiery crowd who's constant screams were deafening. Pienaar would open the scoring with a penalty and add two more before half-time, and a try by Saracens' Chris Ashton made the score 9-5 Ulster at the end of the first. Jim Stokes couldn't believe what he was seeing: What a gutsy performance by Ulster. To lead 9-5 at half-time and a man down after four minutes is a tremendous effort. Keep 'er lit I say.

— Jim Stokes (@PedalPump) April 5, 2014 Mouritz Botha would open the scoring for Saracens in the second half, as fatigue clearly started to set in for the Ulster players. But Owen Farrell had a nightmare game kicking for the visitors, missing three attempts prior to that try and hooking the conversion wide, making it 10-9 Saracens. Ashton would score his second to give the visitors a clear path to the win, but yet another crucial miss from Farrell combined with two penalties from Paddy Jackson ensured the game would go down to the wire. In range and with no time left on the club, Ulster desperately looked for an opening or a foul that would give the team a chance to complete a miraculous comeback, but to the dismay of the crowd, the French official refused to give the penalty to the hosts, instead seeing a foul that would hand the ball back to Saracens to end the game. The visitors celebrated wildly as this win truly was as hard-fought as a win can be, but all credit for this stunning match must go to Ulster.

Brian Moore praised the hosts: That almost super-human effort from Ulster in the narrowest of losses deserves applausding. — Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) April 5, 2014 Saracens will play Clermont in the semi-finals when competition resumes, while Munster will play the winner of tomorrow's match between Toulon and Leinster. Classic Heineken Cup clashes herald European rugby union's new dawn | Eddie Butler | Sport | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close Victory is saluted, if a little wearily. There will, after all, be rugby in our time across the fields of Europe. To Ian Ritchie, chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, go the plaudits for saving the day. He massaged the militancy of his own English clubs, picked a way through French law and caprice, turned the two faces of Welsh rugby towards compromise, took Scotland's arm around tradition and wrapped it instead around commercial reality. He had Sky and BT make love not war, and had everything translated into Italian in the nick of time . Which leaves Ireland, the losers in all this. And what had they ever done that was so very wrong?

The Irish had won too much and run too much. The citadel of European Rugby Cup, its Celtic bias making it lean towards damned Dublin, had to fall. Rugby is heading for Switzerland – not to Dignitas, but to sup on the purifying waters that make Fifa, Uefa and the IOC such models of sporting governance. All can go only well in the promised land. In the meantime, in advance of the waters of the Irish Sea parting before the exodus, there is one last Heineken Cup to be won. And with three provinces still involved, there is the prospect of the condemned refusing to go down without a full-on Irish fight. That is a promise across the land, from Thomond Park in Limerick to Ravenhill in Belfast. Leinster, if you allow, we may leave for the day of their reckoning with Toulon, next Sunday, when Jonny and BOD vie for beatification. Munster play Toulouse, the two-time winners against the four-time champions. Munster are in a record 16th quarter-final and with home advantage – 17 of 68 quarter-finals have been won by the away team.

Toulouse, however, have won twice on the road in the quarter-finals. The teams' histories may speak louder than their current form. Toulouse are on the edge of the Top 14 play-off places. Munster lie alongside Leinster and Ulster in the top spots of the RaboDirect Pro 12, but it is, we have often been reminded, only a silly little league. Munster, where it counts in Europe, are not the all-consuming force they once were. So goes the theory. It is easy to make a promise of a grand day out at Thomond Park since the game will be refereed by Nigel Owens – that strange creature, a Welshman in the quarter-finals – but it's difficult to be more precise than that. So much will depend on what the medics in both camps reveal on Monday after examination of Saturday's bruises. What toll will Munster's trip to Leinster in the supposedly uncompetitive Pro 12 have taken? What damage will have been done on Toulouse's away day in Toulon in the Top 14?

Ulster's quarter-final is against Saracens, and they will both be monitoring the effects of away days at Cardiff Blues and Wasps respectively, games that did not come with the clout, they'll be hoping, of the others. There is a feeling at Ulster that, cutting against the grain of the season, players are returning from, rather than withdrawing because of, injury. Dan Tuohy is in contention again for the second row after breaking his arm, Tommy Bowe is back on the wing and the score sheet, and even Stephen Ferris is playing once more. There seems to be steeliness in the Ulster ranks, a resolve born of failing in the Heineken. Ireland and England proved in the Six Nations that the hurt of one year can be a powerful tool the next . Ulster are a team on a mission and they, too, have home advantage. Saracens are not exactly without determination and have a cutting edge now to add to their core strength.

Chris Ashton, fighting a personal battle against exclusion from Stuart Lancaster's England project, is the top Heineken Cup try-scorer going into the quarter-finals, on seven, with Chris Wyles and David Strettle also featuring in the top six, with four tries each. The contest between Andrew Trimble, a shining example in the Six Nations of a right wing who refused to give up in the face of repeated rejection, and the former England wings – Wyles is American – will be one of the studies of the weekend. It was interesting in the week to hear the observations of Edward Griffiths, the Saracens CEO and never knowingly bland, on the matter of the outbreak of peace in European rugby. While everyone else was sighing with relief, Griffiths threw a jibe at the "eccentric" Welsh Rugby Union . It's hardly the worst barb thrown the way of the constitutionally batty governing body of Wales, but it revealed that there is mileage left in stirring the embers of rugby strife. Ulster will be using the sacking of Dublin as the centre of European rugby to stoke their fires in Belfast. Saracens seem to be pointing out that it wasn't a bundle of fun for the demolition crew either.

Either way, what remains of the Heineken Cup will be unmissable. Worcester Warriors breathed life into their relegation battle by winning for the first time this season, beating Newcastle 17-12 Published: 30 Mar 2014 Leicester defeated local rivals Northampton to go eight Premiership matches unbeaten Published: 30 Mar 2014 Nigel Davies admitted Gloucester were a long way short of where they wanted to be but praised his team's dominant pack after the narrow win at Exeter Published: 30 Mar 2014 Saracens will head for their Heineken Cup quarter-final in Belfast in good spirits after beating Wasps to make their play-off spot secure Published: 30 Mar 2014 Aviva Stadium will host Heineken semi-final if Ulster beat Saracens - BBC Sport Aviva Stadium will host Heineken semi-final if Ulster beat Saracens 1 Apr 2013 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Read more about sharing. The Aviva Stadium will host a Heineken Cup semi-final if Ulster beat Saracens on Saturday.

The game, scheduled for 28 April, will be staged at the Dublin venue or Twickenham, selected as the home ground for Saracens if they win the clash. Toulon or Leicester Tigers will face the winners from Saturday's quarter-final at Twickenham. Munster's reward if they beat Harlequins on Sunday is a semi-final at the Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier. Clermont Auvergne and Montpellier face each other, with the winner playing host to the victor from the Twickenham Stoop game. The 32,000-capacity ground is the home of the city's Ligue 1 football club and this will mark the first time it has staged a Heineken Cup knockout match, although it was the venue for Montpellier's meeting with Leinster in the group stages last season. Ulster defeated Edinburgh at the Aviva Stadium in last year's Heineken Cup semi-finals, and the venue will host the 2013 final on 18 May.

Share this page Heineken Cup: Saracens v Toulon match preview | The Independent Heineken Cup: Saracens v Toulon match preview A look ahead to the Heineken Cup semi-final fixture at Twickenham Friday 26 April 2013 19:16 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Twickenham will play host to one of the most eagerly anticipated match-ups in recent European history on Sunday when Aviva Premiership leaders Saracens take on the money-rich Toulon in the Heineken Cup semi-finals. The game will see the past meet the present in terms of England fly-halves, as Jonny Wilkinson will return to his former home to tackle the incumbent of the number 10 jersey, Owen Farrell. The comparisons between the two have come thick-and-fast since Farrell claimed the shirt from Toby Flood, who Wilkinson saw-off in the last round as Toulon defeated Leicester Tigers. He will run out onto his former happy-hunting ground as captain, and his record of 36 victories in 42 Twickenham matches can be beaten by very few. But the game will be about far more than just the battle of the 10’s.

There are appetising match-ups all over the park that will have rugby fans counting down the seconds to 3pm, though these fans may not actually be within the confines of HQ. The pre-game build-up has been dominated at the lack of tickets sold for the game, with just 21,000 rumoured to have been snapped-up with less than three days to go till game day. Saracens, who knocked out Ulster in the quarter-finals at the same venue, will have hoped for a much larger attendance, but they are powerless the rather hefty ticket prices as the European Rugby Commission control all prices for both semi-finals. Toulon may also be used to playing in front of a much larger – and ferocious – audience, but they are not expected to bring a fan-base with the same numbers as Ulster did or that of Munster’s on Saturday. Some have identified Saracens as the English alternative to Toulon, and despite operating under the salary cap of English rugby, they have assembled a squad that is capable of resting key names while remaining competitive on all fronts.

Having missed last week’s narrow loss to Gloucester at Kingsholm, Schalk Brits, Brad Barritt, Mako Vunipola, Chris Ashton and Kelly Brown all return to the starting line-up. With all five players now a full international with Vunipola joining their ever-increasing honours list, they boost an already-experienced side whose only weakness will be that they have never made the Heineken Cup final before – the closest being a narrow 16-18 loss in 2008 to eventual champions Munster in the semi-finals. Toulon have reached the semi-finals in their first ever Heineken Cup campaign, and having finished runners-up on two occasions in the European Challenge Cup in the last three years, they may be seen as perennial chokers when it comes to the big stage. However, there is no doubt that their star-filled squad is capable of winning the big games, and when you have Wilkinson leading the way with his trusty left foot, the big games have become much easier for the Cote D’Azur team.

They ran out 21-15 victor’s over the Tigers at home, but until they win away from the cauldron that is the Stade Felix Mayol, the doubts will remain as how to get the squad firing on all cylinders. The French side make one change to the side that started the win over Leicester, and it’s a rather surprising change that see’s new signing Danie Rossouw replace Steffon Armitage in the back-row, with Juan-Martin Fernandez Lobbe switching to openside flanker to accommodate the South African. Armitage drops to the bench, where he joins fit-again Frederic Michalak. The French half-back suffered a dismal Six Nations campaign that saw him injured and banned in their victory over Scotland, and Michalak came in for criticism from all areas of the rugby world. With this weekend’s match seemingly the last chance for potential British and Irish Lions tourist to put their hand up for selection before Tuesday’s squad announcement, it seems Wilkinson, Gethin Jenkins and the rest of the British contingent will be overlooked due to the Top 14 final clash with the first tour game.

Toulon announced that neither Warren Gatland nor any coaching staff have contacted the club about their availability, and it may be down to the Heineken Cup if England’s former golden boy wishes to add another trophy to his already hefty list. Saracens: Alex Goode; Chris Ashton, Joel Tomkins, Brad Barritt, David Strettle; Owen Farrell, Richard Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola, Schalk Brits, Matt Stevens; Steve Borthwick, Alistair Hargreaves; Jackson Wray, Kelly Brown, Ernst Joubert. Replacements: John Smit, Rhys Gill, Carlos Nieto, Mouritz Botha, George Kruis, Neil de Kock, Charlie Hodgson, Chris Wyles. Toulon: Delon Armitage; Rudi Wulf, Mathieu Bastareaud, Matt Giteau, Alexis Palisson; Jonny Wilkinson, Sebastien Tillous-Borde; Andrew Sheridan, Sebastien Bruno, Carl Hayman; Bakkies Botha; Nick Kennedy; Danie Rossouw, Juan-Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Chris Masoe.

Replacements: Jean Charles Orioli, Gethin Jenkins, Davit Kubrashvili, Joe Van Niekerk, Steffon Armitage, Maxime Mermoz, Frederic Michalak, Jocelino Suta. More about: Heineken Cup - Rugby Union - Sports Mole Heineken Cup May 25, 11:35 Jonny Wilkinson "proud" of Toulon teammates Jonny Wilkinson says that he is "proud" of his Toulon teammates following their Heineken Cup triumph against Saracens at the Millennium Stadium. May 24, 19:46 Saracens captain Steve Borthwick fit for Heineken Cup final Saracens captain Steve Borthwick is declared fit for tomorrow's Heineken Cup final against Toulon on Saturday. May 23, 15:05 Steve Borthwick facing late fitness test for Saracens Saracens captain Steve Borthwick faces a late fitness test ahead of Saturday's Heineken Cup final against Toulon.

May 20, 18:15 Result: Jonny Wilkinson kicks Toulon past Munster and into Heineken Cup final Jonny Wilkinson kicks 21 of Toulon's 24 points as they beat Munster to reach the Heineken Cup final, despite not scoring a try at the Stade Velodrome. Apr 27, 17:23 Result: Saracens beat Clermont Auvergne to reach Heineken Cup final Saracens are through to the final of the Heineken Cup following a 46-6 win over Clermont Auvergne in their semi-final at Twickenham. Apr 26, 17:38 Mark McCall: 'Saracens need a strong start' Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall believes that his side must start well in their Heineken Cup semi-final against Clermont Auvergne. Apr 25, 20:28 RFU announce new European tournament to replace Heineken Cup The Rugby Football Union announce a new European rugby tournament to replace the Heineken Cup.

Apr 10, 18:28 Result: Toulon into Heineken Cup semi-finals Toulon defeat Leinster 29-14 at Stade Mayol to book their place in the Heineken Cup semi-finals. Apr 6, 18:20 Result: Saracens into Heineken Cup semi-finals Saracens have defeated 14-man Ulster 17-15 to advance through to the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup. Apr 5, 20:30 Rob Penney: 'Munster were outstanding' Munster head coach Rob Penney says that his side were "outstanding" during their Heineken Cup quarter-final win over Toulouse. Apr 5, 18:59 Result: Clermont Auvergne knock Leicester Tigers out of Heineken Cup Clermon Auvergne progress to the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup with a 22-16 win over Leicester Tigers.

Apr 5, 17:56 Rory Best: 'We have to be careful against Saracens' Rory Best warns his Ulster teammates to "play the game, not the occasion" when they face Saracens at Ravenhill. Apr 5, 15:27 Result: Munster reach Heineken Cup semi-finals Munster are through to the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup after beating Toulouse 47-23. Apr 5, 15:26 Richard Cockerill: 'Leicester Tigers have a great opportunity' Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill believes that his side have a "great opportunity" to end Clermont Auvergne's 74-match unbeaten run at home. Apr 1, 20:55 Result: Harlequins edge out Scarlets Harlequins fire a late penalty to edge a 22-20 victory over Scarlets in their final Heineken Cup encounter.

Jan 19, 17:05 Result: Clermont Auvergne cruise past Racing Metro Clermont Auvergne mark their final Pool 4 game in the Heineken Cup with a comfortable 28-3 win over Racing Metro. Jan 19, 16:57 Result: Munster dominate Edinburgh Munster dominate Edinburgh from start to finish to secure a 38-6 win in this afternoon's Heineken Cup clash. Jan 19, 14:42 Result: Gloucester Rugby see off Perpignan Gloucester Rugby dominate Perpignan to secure a 36-18 win in this afternoon's Heineken Cup encounter. Jan 19, 14:38 Result: Benetton Treviso lose all six Montpellier beat Bennetton Treviso to ensure that they finish third in Pool 5 of the Heineken Cup. Jan 18, 20:04 Result: Ulster beat Leicester Tigers to top Pool 5 Ulster travel to Leicester Tigers and win 22-19 to finish top of Pool 5 in the Heineken Cup.

Jan 18, 19:56 Mark McCall: 'Saracens were outstanding' Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall says that the team were outstanding in their final pool game in the Heineken Cup. Jan 18, 18:58 Result: Jonny Wilkinson leads Toulon to win Jonny Wilkinson kicks all the points for Toulon in their 15-8 win over Glasgow Warriors in the Heineken Cup. Jan 18, 17:34 Result: Exeter Chiefs edge out Cardiff Blues Gareth Steenson kicks a late penalty to seal a 19-13 win for Exeter Chiefs over Cardiff Blues in the Heineken Cup. Jan 18, 17:29 Result: David Strettle hat-trick leads Saracens rout Saracens score 11 tries to thrash Connacht 64-6 in their final game of the Heineken Cup pool stage. Jan 18, 15:51 Result: Toulouse clinch quarter-final spot Toulouse are through to the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup after beating Zebre 16-6.

Jan 18, 15:39 Gruff Rees: 'Ian Evans was a bit reckless' Ospreys backs coach Gruff Rees believes that Ian Evans's red-card incident in the Heineken Cup was a little reckless. Jan 18, 14:23 Result: Leinster crush Ospreys Leinster score five tries in a 36-3 win over Ospreys, sealing a place in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup. Jan 17, 22:08 Result: Northampton Saints edge past Castres A late George Pisi try seals a narrow win for Northampton Saints against Castres in the Heineken Cup. Jan 17, 21:49 Mark McCall hopeful over Saracens qualification Mark McCall believes that Saracens can still advance to the next round of the Heineken Cup as one of the best runners-up despite their defeat at Toulouse.

Jan 13, 06:11 Result: Toulouse march into last eight Jean-Marc Doussain fires 21 points as Toulouse secures a 21-11 win over Saracens to book a quarter-final spot in the Heineken Cup. Jan 12, 16:46 Result: Second-half comeback gives Leinster win Leinster complete an impressive second-half comeback to beat Castres 29-22 in this afternoon's Heineken Cup clash. Jan 12, 14:52 Result: Northampton Saints claim the win Northampton Saints beat Ospreys 29-17 in this afternoon's Heineken Cup clash. Jan 12, 14:46 Result: Munster beat Gloucester Rugby to extend lead Munster beat Gloucester in the Heineken Cup to extend their lead at the top of Pool 1. Jan 11, 20:03 Result: Edinburgh move above Perpignan with win Edinburgh beat Perpignan in the Heineken Cup to move above them in Pool 6.

Jan 11, 19:52 Danny Care injures ankle in Harlequins defeat Harlequins and England scrum-half Danny Care injures his ankle in Heineken Cup defeat to Clermont Auvergne. Jan 11, 18:43 Mathew Tait praises Leicester Tigers comeback Leicester Tigers' Mathew Tait says that the team relied on their experience in their comeback win over Treviso in the Heineken Cup. Jan 11, 18:24 Result: Mistakes cost Cardiff Blues in Toulon Toulon force three second-half penalty tries to clinch a 43-20 win over Cardiff Blues in the Heineken Cup.

Jan 11, 17:44 Result: Glasgow Warriors come from behind against Exeter Chiefs Glasgow Warriors come from behind to beat Exeter Chiefs 15-10 in the Heineken Cup Jan 11, 17:23 Result: Late Clermont Auvergne push downs Harlequins Clermont Auvergne scores a try and a penalty inside the last eight minutes to clinch a 16-13 win over Harlequins in the Heineken Cup.

Jan 11, 15:35 Saracens and Leicester handed tough draws in new European Rugby Champions Cup - Telegraph Club Saracens and Leicester handed tough draws in new European Rugby Champions Cup Top English seeds Saracens will face Munster, Clermont Auvergne and Sale Sharks in pool one of new 20-team tournament that replaces Heineken Cup Hard work ahead: Saracens will take on Munster, Clermont Auvergne and Sale Sharks in their pool in new competition which replaces Heineken Cup Photo: GETTY IMAGES Follow Richard Cockerill, Leicester’s director of rugby, says his side will relish the prospect of competing in the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup next season despite being drawn in arguably the tournament’s toughest pool. Leicester have been drawn with the reigning Heineken Cup champions Toulon, former champions Ulster, who were the only side to have gone through the pool stages with an unblemished record this season, and the Llanelli Scarlets. Ulster defeated Leicester home and away in the pool stages of this year’s final Heineken Cup while Toulon defeated the Tigers in the quarter-finals on the way to winning the tournament last year.

Cockerill insisted that Leicester, twice champions themselves, would not be daunted by the draw. “Leicester always want to compete against the best of the best and that is what the new European Rugby Champions Cup is all about,” he said. “We’re looking forward to taking part in its first season and maintaining the club’s proud tradition in European competition. I’m sure the Tigers supporters are already looking forward to some big European occasions at Welford Road and some exciting trips away with the team too. Related Articles Hawk-Eye targets 2015 Rugby World Cup 03 Jun 2014 “It is a very competitive group with Ulster, the Scarlets and Toulon who won the European Cup and French title this season. We’ve been to all three venues in recent seasons and know the strength of the challenge from each of them - and I’m sure they’ll all be looking at Leicester and thinking the same thing.” The draw, which took place in Neuchatel, Switzerland on Tuesday, was also particularly harsh on Saracens, who qualified as top English seeds by dint of finishing top of the Premiership regular season.

Mark McCall’s side will face the two-time champions Munster, Clermont Auvergne and fellow Premiership rivals Sale Sharks in Pool 1 of the new 20-team tournament that replaces that Heineken Cup. Northampton, the Premiership champions who also received a top seeding following a pre-draw between Glasgow and Castres, meanwhile were handed what appears to be a much more favourable draw. Jim Mallinder’s side will face Racing Metro, Ospreys and Treviso in the pool stages. “We haven’t played Racing Metro before, and going to Paris will be an exciting challenge,” Mallinder said. “Racing is an ambitious club and showed in their recent play-offs win away at Toulouse just how dangerous they can be. We know what to expect from the Ospreys. We had to work extremely hard for our results against them last season and it will be no different next season.

We haven’t played Treviso for a few years, and it will be good to go back to Italy.” Leinster, who were the number one-ranked club from the Pro12, take on Castres Olympique, Harlequins and London Wasps in Pool 2, with the number two-ranked club from the Pro12, Glasgow Warriors, drawn in Pool 4 against Montpellier, Bath and Toulouse. Meanwhile Exeter, the top-ranked Premiership club in the European Rugby Challenge Cup, find themselves in Pool 2 along with Bayonne, Connacht Rugby and La Rochelle. London Welsh, the newly promoted Premiership club, are grouped alongside Edinburgh, Bordeaux-Begles and Lyon. London Irish face Cardiff Blues and Grenoble, with Newcastle meeting Stade Francais, among others, and Gloucester drawn alongside French pair Brive and Oyonnax. Mark McCafferty, the Premiership Rugby chief executive, said the new tournaments would ensure the European club game stayed ahead of Super Rugby, its southern hemisphere equivalent. “I think both tournaments will be fantastic – full of anticipation and excitement for players, coaches and supporters and will keep us ahead of Super Rugby,” McCafferty said.

“As ever, there are some pools that are particularly tough in both competitions but at least there are three pools that will provide two qualifiers for the knock-out stages.

It is also going to drive the performance in all three leagues for qualify for the next season.” 2014/15 European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 1: Saracens, Munster Rugby, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Sale Sharks Pool 2: Leinster Rugby, Castres Olympique, Harlequins, London Wasps Pool 3: RC Toulon, Leicester Tigers, Ulster Rugby, Scarlets Pool 4: Glasgow Warriors, Montpellier, Bath Rugby, Toulouse Pool 5: Northampton Saints, Racing Metro 92, Ospreys, Benetton Treviso 2014/15 European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 1: Cardiff Blues, London Irish, Grenoble, FIRA-AER 1 Pool 2: Exeter Chiefs, Bayonne, Connacht Rugby, La Rochelle Pool 3: Stade Francais Paris, NG Dragons, Newcastle Falcons, FIRA-AER 2 Pool 4: Edinburgh Rugby, Bordeaux-Begles, London Welsh, Lyon Pool 5: Gloucester Rugby, Brive, Zebre, Oyonnax Pool stage dates Heineken Cup: Revenge bid puts Mark McCall in line for hot home

coming | London Evening Standard Heineken Cup: Revenge bid puts Mark McCall in line for hot homecoming Monday 20 January 2014 11:49 BST Click to follow ES Sport Mark McCall must plot the downfall of Ulster — his home province — in the quarter-finals for the second successive season if Saracens are to keep their Heineken Cup hopes alive.

Sarries defeated Ulster 27-16 last year but then lost to Toulon in the semi-final with both matches at Twickenham. However, this time McCall must take his men to Ravenhill where Ulster are backed by a vociferous home crowd that will be boosted to 18,000 for this match following the completion of three new stands. The hosts are looking for revenge and Ulster’s director of rugby, David Humphreys, said: “We were hugely disappointed with the way we performed at Twickenham last season. Now we have the opportunity to lay those ghosts to rest.” McCall was club captain of Ulster when they won the Heineken Cup in 1999 — although a neck injury denied him the chance to play in the final against Colomiers — and he later became head coach. The Saracens director of rugby saw his men seal their place in the quarter-final with a 64-6 hammering of Connacht on Saturday. Sarries scored 11 tries in their final pool game with full-back Alex Goode in brilliant form.

“There were some outstanding individual performances, Alex has been very good over the past two months but he was unbelievable as he looks much quicker,” said McCall. Goode is battling with Harlequins’ Mike Brown to play at No15 in England’s Six Nations opener against France on February 1. With both men impressing, head coach Stuart Lancaster could be tempted to repeat last year’s tactic of accommodating both talents in the XV by playing Brown on the left wing and the Saracens man at full-back. Goode said: “I have to make it tough for the coaches. I feel I am playing well but that does not mean I will be selected. Brownie is in good form and did well in November but you cannot go into the England camp feeling you are second best and sulking.” Ben Botica’s penalty gave Harlequins a 22-20 Heineken Cup win at Scarlets, earning them a place in the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup as one of the best second-placed teams in the premier European tournament. Quins must travel to Paris to face Stade Francais, the team they defeated 19-18 to win this competition in 2011.

Director of rugby Conor O’Shea said: “To finish as one of the best runners-up in such a tough pool is a real credit to the guys. We are now going to play Stade Francais away, and the juices will really flow for something like that.” London Wasps will be at home to Gloucester in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup after six successive pool wins. Brought to you by Amlin, proud sponsor of European rugby, in its fifth season as Title Partner of the Amlin Challenge Cup and Premium Partner of the Heineken Cup. More about:

Question: Which rugby union team defeated Saracens to win the Heineken cup in 201A?
Answer: Toulon